Arrival (2016)

Understand, I wasn’t ending friendships. I was respecting them — by refusing to let Facebook’s limitations do them further harm. It troubled me to see conversations we might have enjoyed in person go so horribly awry on social media. And anyway, our heated arguments attracted other angry voices, voices that overwhelmed our debate with snark, hostility, bullying, even hatred. I had to shut things down.

Nevertheless, I lose sleep at night over that “unfriending.” It feels like unforgiveness. It feels like despair.

So Arrival, the new science-fiction feature from director Denis Villeneuve, kicked me where I already hurt.

Related

1 Comment

I tried to see this film twice but my plans were thwarted by circumstance, or providence. When I was finally able to see it, I had the entire afternoon free and thank goodness. I left the theater sobbing and sobbed in my car all the way hope. Then I got in bed, hugged by my blankets and cried myself to sleep. I love cerebral sci-fi, but the inventiveness of this film completely overwhelmed me. It was stunning and beautiful. A story of communication, love, and time. I’ve been recommended it to all. It was a slow start, but the score by Icelandic composer Johann Johannsen was phenomenal and gave the film plenty of open space to process and digest the gravity of the scenes, the power plays, and the love within humanity. I loved the through-line of “Come Back to Me.” This film was truly life changing, life affirming, and provocative in every way!